The Whistler and Valley Express broke all previous ridership records on New Year’s Eve, according to Whistler Transit manager Scott Pass.
This year a fleet of 16 buses transported 28,306 passengers, the highest one-day tally for the bus service. Last year’s tally was just over 24,000 riders.
"And it went spotlessly," said Pass. "There was no damage, no pukers, no problems. Sometimes we were falling behind in our Creekside routes, but for the most part we were keeping up with the people."
The transit service was free after 6 p.m. and the final transit runs left the village at 3:40 a.m. There was also a stoppage in service between 11 p.m. and midnight, allowing the buses to get ready for the post New Year’s crush.
There was one significant service interruption at approximately 2:30 a.m. when a fight and stabbing occurred at a party in Alpine Meadows. The police closed off the area, and the buses had to bypass the regular Alpine stops.
The drivers were aided by paid security officers on each bus, and no major problems were reported.
The drivers also managed to raise $265 for the Whistler Food Bank through the on-board tip jars, with half the money raised going towards the drivers and half going towards the Food Bank.
Pass is still compiling numbers for the holiday season, but says the bus service likely broke some other records as well.
